Reflections on Hungarian Dance no. 1 by Brahms

Here are some notes for what I learned from Hungarian Dance no. 1

It starts with this stepwise motif over a G minor chord (i minor). Then it moves to the iv chord (C minor) and later the V chord (D major).

It then repeats with a slightly different accompaniment.

That’s A.

The next section B has some fast 16th notes and runs that contrast the previous section. Then there are some constant or continuous 16th notes moving between G minor and C minor.

The next section C starts on the V chord (D major). It’s in 4 bar phrases with a repeat sign. The second half of this section starts on the bVII chord (F major) and now more ornaments are introduced. Most recordings I heard also had ritardandos at all the cadences.

Again this dotted eighth note + sixteenth note motif is played but bigger and formed into a longer melody. Maybe this is related to the dotted quarter + eighth note in the original theme at the beginning of the piece.

Now we’re back at the A and it’s the same as the first one.

The second half of this part is slightly different than [B] so we could call it B’ or B prime.

It has lots of sequences in all of the runs. I’ve never been good at writing with sequences, especially fast ones on piano.

ISJ